"Bulbasaur, could you please help me select some seeds? I'm looking for blueberries, corn, chili peppers, and tomatoes. Not too many of each."
Bulbasaur was a Grass-type Pokémon and could naturally identify seeds with greater vitality and growth potential. In this regard, Bulbasaur was far more of an expert than Jack could ever be.
"You might also want to consider purchasing some Berry seeds," Exxon suggested thoughtfully. "Berries have relatively short growth cycles—varieties like Oran Berries and Cheri Berries only require timely watering and weeding to yield substantial harvests, making them very suitable for the Pokémon on your ranch."
"Then I'll trouble Bulbasaur to help me select some Berry seeds as well."
"Bulba, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur happily accepted the task, clearly eager to help.
The seeds were all sold in convenient packets. Bulbasaur only needed to determine which packets contained seeds with denser Grass-type energy—an instinctive skill for the Seed Pokémon.
Jack then proceeded to purchase some essential farming tools. He didn't have enough money for a large-scale cleanup of the entire ranch right now. His priority was to clear out a suitable area where he and his Pokémon could eat and sleep comfortably.
"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur wrapped its Vine Whip around several packets of seeds it deemed highly vital and vigorous.
"Thank you for your hard work, Bulbasaur." Jack carefully took the seeds from Bulbasaur and asked Mr. Exxon to calculate the total price.
Blueberries cost 80 Pokédollars per packet, corn ran 150 Pokédollars per packet, tomatoes were 50 Pokédollars per packet, and chili peppers also cost 50 Pokédollars per packet.
The Berry seeds were considerably more expensive, with the priciest varieties nearly reaching a thousand Pokédollars per packet.
"Melo—"
Meltan, like Bulbasaur, possessed a keen sense—though in Meltan's case, it was for metal rather than plants. Whichever tool looked more appetizing was clearly the better choice! Feeling them out with its liquid metal body was sufficient to select the best farm tools.
Seeds, plus a hoe, an axe, a pickaxe, a watering can, pruning scissors, a rake, and a hammer.
"The total comes to 8,100 Pokédollars. With the twenty percent discount, that's 6,480 Pokédollars."
Mr. Exxon would personally deliver the seeds and farming tools to the ranch. Next, it was time to purchase some daily necessities—things like rice, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Not to mention tonight's dinner ingredients.
"Meltan, I thought you only ate metal," Jack commented with mild surprise.
Jack bought quite a lot of supplies, spending a total of 13,026 Pokédollars, and finally returned to the ranch in Mr. Exxon's delivery truck.
Some of the purchases consisted of scrap metal specifically for Meltan to consume, while others were Berries and fresh vegetables for cooking.
"Bulba, Bulbasaur!"
"Alright, we'll prepare dinner as soon as we arrive back."
Bulbasaur was still quite young, just over ten months old. Although it had been past its infancy for some time, it still needed to replenish substantial amounts of energy daily. Relying solely on photosynthesis for nutrition could easily lead to malnourishment.
"Melo?" (Jack, can you actually cook?)
Jack calmly retrieved a book from his bag with a confident smile.
The Complete Guide to Home Cooking
"Hehe, don't I have a textbook? I specifically searched for this one."
"Bulbasaur!?"
Bulbasaur was momentarily stunned, clearly concerned. It seemed its new owner couldn't actually cook at all.
Its Vine Whip waved constantly through the air, mimicking the motion of flipping food in a wok.
"Bulbasaur, are you suggesting that you know how to cook?" Jack guessed based on Bulbasaur's enthusiastic Vine Whip demonstration.
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur nodded vigorously.
When Bulbasaur had first been sent to Professor Oak's Laboratory, the professor often survived on instant ramen due to his research schedule. Bulbasaur hadn't wanted someone so kind to the Pokémon to constantly subsist on instant noodles, so it had taught itself how to cook properly.
Jack listened carefully as Meltan translated Bulbasaur's lengthy narrative into understandable terms.
No wonder Professor Oak had given this particular Bulbasaur directly to Jack—he must have been worried that Jack couldn't properly take care of himself.
"That's exactly the Professor Oak I know and respect."
With Mr. Exxon's assistance, it only took Jack five minutes to return to Silver Ranch.
Although the ranch was severely overgrown with weeds, it still had all the necessary furnishings—bedding, a functional kitchen, and a living room. They were simply covered in layers of accumulated dust.
The human and his two Pokémon divided the labor and worked cooperatively together.
Meltan cleaned the dust from inside the rooms, while Bulbasaur tidied the kitchen area and directed Jack in preparing their first meal.
After all, Bulbasaur was a Pokémon, and cooking wasn't as convenient for it as it was for Jack, who possessed opposable thumbs and greater dexterity.
"Bulba, Bulbasaur!"
The iron wok sizzled energetically on the stove. Bulbasaur crouched beside the cutting board, washing vegetables thoroughly, then used its Vine Whip to instruct Jack on each subsequent step.
The knife blade scraped repeatedly against the eggplant's surface. The cut chunks rolled into a porcelain bowl, splashing water droplets onto Jack's shirt sleeves.
Seeing the oil in the wok begin to smoke lightly, Jack quickly added the eggplant pieces. He scooped salt from the salt jar, and the shaken granules fell like fresh powder snow onto the stir-frying eggplant, causing the flames in the stove below to dance merrily.
"Melo—"
Meltan dragged a cleaning rag across the floor in systematic circles. Its metallic body rubbed against the cabinet legs, polishing away splashed soy sauce stains until they practically shone.
It then used its round, liquid metal body to push the broom forward, sweeping up white powder that had leaked from a flour bag. As it passed the dining table, it didn't forget to use its small tail to straighten a set of crooked chopsticks.
By the time the appetizing aroma of steamed rice wafted out from the rice cooker, Bulbasaur had already used its broad leaves to wash all the dishes and chopsticks. Green vines rested gently on the bowl rims, allowing excess water to drain away.
Jack hung the freshly wiped spatula back on its wall hook and divided the two dishes—cooked under Bulbasaur's patient direction—into three equal portions on the table.
[Stir-fried Eggplant (B-): Intermediate dish. Due to unfamiliar technique, inaccurate ingredient ratios, and poor timing control, the overall flavor is somewhat subpar. However, it contains the player's surprised and joyful emotions from cooking for the first time, elevating the dish's inherent charm.
Dish Effect: Life Recovery Lv1. Increases Satiety, slowly restores Stamina and HP. Duration: 60min]
[Loofah Soup (C+): Low-level dish. Due to unfamiliar technique, inaccurate ingredient ratios, and poor timing control, coupled with insufficient salt usage, the flavor is rather bland. However, it contains the player's surprised and joyful emotions from cooking for the first time, elevating the dish's inherent charm.
Dish Effect: Gentle Lv1. Supplements necessary nutrients and slightly increases Endurance. Duration: 30min]
"As expected, it integrated elements from my farming game."
Jack wiped away some perspiration, examining the effects and ratings displayed for the two dishes with satisfaction.
But the most important thing right now wasn't analyzing the dishes—it was finally time to eat!
"Let's eat!"
"Melo—"
"Bulbasaur!"
The human and his two Pokémon gathered around the modest table and began their final meal of the day together.
Jack first took a bite of the stir-fried eggplant. The soft, tender texture, wrapped in savory sauce, practically melted in his mouth, carrying the eggplant's natural subtle sweetness.
After swallowing the first bite, he felt the persistent soreness in his shoulders quietly recede, as comfortable as if they had been soaked in soothing warm water.
He scooped another generous mouthful of rice, which slid smoothly into his stomach mixed with the delicate aroma of loofah soup.
The fatigue accumulated throughout the exhausting day seemed to be enveloped and dissolved by this gentle warmth, making his heavy eyelids feel noticeably less burdensome.
How absolutely wonderful!
"Bulba, Bulbasaur~"
After finishing its meal, Bulbasaur lay down contentedly beside the table. It was the first time the Seed Pokémon had guided someone in cooking, and it felt quite satisfied that Jack had managed to achieve this level of quality.
It noticed that the fatigue in its own body had lessened significantly as well.
So comfortable~
"Try this drink. We'll need to get back to work soon enough."
Jack carried a pitcher of freshly made lemonade and poured it carefully into three cups.
[Lemonade (C): Low-level beverage. The temperature hasn't dropped sufficiently yet; it would taste considerably better if it were properly chilled.
Dish Effect: Cooling and Heat Relief Lv1. Can slightly alleviate the effects of high temperatures and maintain a cool, comfortable feeling. Duration: 30min
Fire Resistance Lv1. Slightly enhances resistance to Fire-type moves. Duration: 30min]